Aging doesn’t have to be full of loss and decline. It can be packed with gains and acquiring new skills.

Look no further than 81-year-old Lloyd Kahn, who picked up skateboarding at 65 years old.

A lifelong surfer, he took up downhill skateboarding after noticing similarities between the two sports. And when we say downhill, we’re talking the steep streets of San Francisco.

“I think the thing about learning a new physical skill when you’re older, I think it’s good for your brain,” he told AOL in 2012. “I’m not giving up skating as long as I can walk.”

 

Kahn isn’t just an extreme athlete. After a career in insurance, he became a publisher and an expert on building dome homes and tiny homes.

If you’d like to learn more about Kahn, check out this podcast on Growing Bolder.